The present invention is directed generally to small size connectors and to shielded housings that enclose such connectors, and more particularly toward plug connectors that are received within such housings and which mate with such small size connectors.
High speed data transfer systems require electrical connectors in which the electrical impedance can be controlled in order to maintain the required data transfer rate of the electrical system. Low profile connectors, such as those used in SFP (Small Form Factor Pluggable) applications are desired in electronic devices in which space is a premium and thus it is difficult to guide the opposing mating plug connectors into contact with such connectors. The plug connector typically includes a circuit card that has a projecting edge that is received within a card opening in the SFP connector. Shielding cages are typically utilized with such connectors to control the emission of electromagnetic interference. These cages often serve as a secondary housing for the connector in that they will substantially enclose the connectors. The small size of the SFP style connectors makes it difficult for ensuring that the opposing mating connectors mate properly with the SFP connectors.
It is further difficult with these small sizes to ensure that the shield housing is of a size sufficiently large to permit solder reflow processing of the connector without bridging occurring between the connector contacts and the shield housing.
The small size of the circuit board connectors makes it further difficult to provide an opposing mating connector of the plug type that secures engages the shield housing surrounding the circuit board connector.
It is desirable given the small size of the these circuit board connectors, that mating plug connectors include a means to engage, or latch with the circuit board connectors and also that the plug connector have a means for delatching themselves from the circuit board connectors. Such a delatching means should have incorporated therewith some means for returning the delatching mechanism of the plug connector to an original (or latched) condition.
The present invention is therefore directed to an improved plug connector for use with SFP connectors of reduced size that overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings and which provides for engaging the plug connector to a shielded housing associated with and encompassing the SFP connector, as well as a means for delatching or disengaging the plug connector from the SFP connector.